Murrieta Police Violent Confrontation with Hispanic Suspect

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

On September 6, 2016 during the evening a confrontation between Murrieta police (California) and a young Hispanic man occurred at a CVS Store.  It was 8:45 pm at 25000 Hancock Ave., just off Los Alamos and the I-215 Freeway.  The Hispanic man was in the medicine aisle, allegedly destroying medical products and ingesting pills, when a Murrieta police officer confronted him.  It became a battle that included 22 year old Alejandro Rojo reaching for the officer's gun and attempting to run away as the officer called for backup.  The battle spilled outside where two other officers joined the struggle, where they sought to subdue the young man with various forms of violence that included the use of their batons, hits with fists, and kicks (including multiple kicks to the groin).  The question on the table is if that violence was excessive, or necessary?

A bystander filmed it all with her cell phone, and put it on Facebook, and now the attention the situation is getting has exploded.

In this anti-cop environment that has been encouraged by some political figures, accompanied by accusations of racism and police brutality, it is easy to jump to conclusions.  Colin Kaepernick, an NFL football player for the San Francisco 49ers, made headlines by refusing to stand for the National Anthem at an NFL game, claiming his decision was based on the racist and oppressive nature of this country.  He was also spotted wearing anti-cop socks during practices, portraying pigs with cop hats on them.

After a lengthy conversation with a Murrieta City official this afternoon, I was assured that at this moment the incident is being investigated, and there is more to the story than the small portion of it we get to see on the video.  We must ask, "What happened before, and after, that caused the situation to be such a violent one?  Are there factors we are unaware of that may explain what happened? Were the police simply being overly forceful in their apprehension of the young Hispanic individual?"

The officer(s) in question has not been placed on administrative leave, possibly an attempt not to portray guilt on the part of the police department.  Personally, I believe that to be a mistake.  Administrative leave is a necessary tool to protect the police officer(s) in question.

Alejandro Rojo was hit with a taser at one point during the confrontation, but did not respond as expected, leaving witnesses and officials to believe Rojo may have been high on some kind of drugs.  Rojo was immediately combative, and tried to run.  One of the officers, it has been reported, broke his hand during the altercation.  Family members have indicated a lawsuit against the City of Murrieta is forthcoming.

A special meeting between the police and local city officials is scheduled for Friday Morning, and I will have an exclusive interview with one of those officials after that city official's assembly with police takes place.  I will report to you what I find out through that exclusive interview.

Stay tuned.

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